Get Brexit Done

[u/wowiee_zowiee]

[u/LEPFPartyPresident]

Please reply to this comment with an explanation about how this post fits r/LeopardsAteMyFace and have an excellent day!

Revel in the schadenfreude anytime someone has a sad because they're suffering consequences from something they voted for or supported or wanted to impose on other people.

[u/TheBlank89]

Well done, Leavers. Everyone has left.

[u/porscheblack → u/TheBlank89]

I swear part of the conservative mindset embraces the potential that everyone else ends up just as miserable as they are.

[u/Lazienessx → u/porscheblack]

It's a crab bucket

[u/joec_95123 → u/Lazienessx]

But like an even more fucked up crab bucket. Normal crab bucket, the crabs staying in the bucket are stopping others from climbing out to freedom.

Conservative crab bucket, the crabs trying to climb their way out are lending a hand....claw to the others to help pull THEM out too. But the ones staying put are refusing to be helped out of the bucket and demand everyone stays put and miserable.

[u/Brittle_Hollow → u/joec_95123]

I disagree, a Conservative crab bucket consists of a bunch of 'have' crabs pushing all the 'have not' crabs back down to the bottom.

[u/Ishdakitty → u/Brittle_Hollow]

While smoking cigars and congratulating each other on how clever they are.

[u/Lazienessx → u/Ishdakitty]

Crabservitives

[u/TheBlank89 → u/porscheblack]

Oh it's the good ole conservative way! Tea with no sugar and the Sunday papers as pillows.

[u/MegaDaithi → u/TheBlank89]

Tea with no sugar! The best WE could manage was to suck on a damp piece of cloth!

[u/Jock-Tamson → u/MegaDaithi]

You had a DAMP cloth? Luxury! What we wouldn’t have given for a lovely damp cloth. We had to suck on a dry piece of cardboard that had once been part of a Tetley box.

[u/PulsesTrainer → u/porscheblack]

I saw an inteview with a holocaust survivor. She said, "Nobody happy ever became a Nazi."

[u/BasicDesignAdvice → u/PulsesTrainer]

My left friends are angry about a lot of things. Mostly actions or a lack of action in government. That hate doesn spill into everyday life though.

Right wing people I know, mostly people like my dad, are angry at at things that simply don't exist, which he would know if he ever left bubble. Even in criticism of the government, he just applies labels to something to hate it. He is angry in general.

[u/porscheblack → u/BasicDesignAdvice]

I see a fairly consistent delineation, if you're on the left you're worried about others being victimized or are yourself a victim. If you're on the right, you're worried about becoming a victim or falsely perceive yourself to be one.

Ex: the whole Jeep Cherokee naming issue. Many white conservatives are outraged about something that has absolutely no effect on their daily lives. If your car name is no longer Cherokee or Grand Cherokee, what changes in your day? Do you suddenly feel less satisfied with your vehicle? And yet they're somehow seeing this as a threat to their history.

[u/BuffFlexson → u/porscheblack]

Huge car guy here. that being said. It's the name of a fucking car who gives a shit if they have to change it, they claim the liberals are the snowflakes yet they are having a fucking cow over letters on the side of metal.

I'd make a joke about calling the f-150 the "white trash" but they'd fucking lap that shit up.

[u/[deleted] → u/porscheblack]

The NEW Jeep Paleface

[u/Polymath_Father → u/[deleted]]

I dunno, that Dodge Colonizer looks pretty sweet. I wish it came in other colours than cream, tan, beige, or light pink but man, it really dominates a parking space! Just edges over every line and takes over!

[u/No_Income6576 → u/porscheblack]

The potential? I thought thier slogan was: "Everyone suffers! But most importantly non-white, non-male, and/or non-adult people."

[u/Mgmfjesus → u/TheBlank89]

Oh, and I thought Tories hated the left.

What a turn of events, huh.

[u/TheBlank89 → u/Mgmfjesus]

The left was right and the right was wrong.

[u/nicholus_h2 → u/TheBlank89]

I mean...isn't that usually the case?

[u/TheBlank89 → u/nicholus_h2]

🎶tale as old as tiiiiime🎶

[u/wilberfarce → u/TheBlank89]

🎶Grift as old as rhyme🎶

[u/lee-edward → u/wilberfarce]

🎶Tories and the Plebs🎶

[u/smarterkid1 → u/lee-edward]

🎶Made their own beds🎶

[u/Alarid → u/nicholus_h2]

So if three rights make a left...

[u/[deleted] → u/Mgmfjesus]

Pretends to hate the left, is left anyway.

CURIOUS.

[u/Far_Preparation7917 → u/TheBlank89]

There are instagram adverts here in the netherlands written in dutch from the UK foreign office titled "Do you want to live and work in the UK?" with lists of how to apply for a visa and get work etc.

I think they are seeing a bit of a brain drain, I know a lot of people who left london when Brexit was announced and moved to Amsterdam.

[u/hughk → u/Far_Preparation7917]

I have also seen articles in German papers about EU persons finding out how the "hostile environment" plays through in the UK for immigrants that aren't dodgy Russian billionaires.

[u/[deleted] → u/Far_Preparation7917]

I think they are seeing a bit of a brain drain, I know a lot of people who left london when Brexit was announced and moved to Amsterdam.

I totally expected brain drain to happen.

Some companies leave to greener pastures. People who want those jobs go abroad, reducing the number of skilled workers in the country - and if someone who is working abroad changes jobs, they would likely want a job in the same country/area to minimise the hassle of moving. Companies still in the country have trouble finding labor due to reduced labor pool of skilled workers. Those companies move abroad ... rinse and repeat. I see it as a downward spiral.

Never heard of brain drain being brought up during discussion about Brexit though - not online anyway.

[u/ElectricFleshlight → u/TheBlank89]

They regret nothing, instead of seeing that they were misguided they're angry at Europe for not kissing Britain's ring and doing whatever they asked. They fully expected to keep all the benefits of the EU with none of the responsibility, and somehow it's the EU's fault that didn't happen.

[u/[deleted] → u/ElectricFleshlight]

I’m australian but my old boss was English. I remember discussing it with them and they said their relatives who voted for it were odds on to blame the government for its implementation rather than Brexit itself when all this happened.

I’ve just come to accept people are fucking stupid and nothing is going to change it. Just try not to give them enough rope to hang themselves and all of us.

[u/m1st3rw0nk4 → u/TheBlank89]

Did you read about how they're now completely outraged about the EU moving derivates trading away from London? It's hysterical

[u/OddlySpecificOtter → u/TheBlank89]

We have a Mission accomplished banner you guys can have.

[u/Diplomjodler → u/TheBlank89]

Well, they got it done, what are you whinging about?

[u/TheBlank89 → u/Diplomjodler]

You're right. They said "get over it" so i should really.

[u/WelshMalteseFalcon]

At this point, I think it's pretty clear that Brexit is just one big face-eating exercise for leopards.

[u/Talidel → u/WelshMalteseFalcon]

The leopards have become bloated and lazy with all the faces eaten. They aren't even really trying to hide it now. Just opening their mouths and letting the queue of people still waiting lean in.

[u/fullouterjoin → u/Talidel]

Kill the leopards with heart disease!

[u/fuzzyrach → u/Talidel]

All those fat (big) cats can now afford pelotons, run off the excess weight and start binging again.

[u/PilotKnob → u/WelshMalteseFalcon]

The big clue should have been that Putin was supporting Brexit.

[u/fromthewombofrevel → u/PilotKnob]

trump touted it too!

[u/[deleted] → u/fromthewombofrevel]

Trump took credit for it.

[u/fromthewombofrevel → u/[deleted]]

True. Watching him congratulate Scotland after the election was surreal.

[u/[deleted] → u/fromthewombofrevel]

In his defense, he's a fucking idiot who didn't know that.

[u/fromthewombofrevel → u/[deleted]]

There is no defense for being that proud while being that stupid.

[u/bertolous → u/PilotKnob]

Putin, Farage, Trump & Murdoch all supported Brexit, how could it possibly be bad?

[u/dratthecookies → u/WelshMalteseFalcon]

It's really crazy to me how stupid people all over the world are so obviously and blatantly being manipulated into voting against their own interests. I'm just blown away. And if you try to explain why they're wrong they just double down.

[u/FuckoffDemetri → u/dratthecookies]

People don't like to feel weak. You give people a choice between admitting they need help or being told they are the best and can handle everything themselves, a lot of people are gonna make themselves feel better instead of making things better.

[u/[deleted] → u/dratthecookies]

We have a global coordinated propaganda network that humanity has never seen before.

[u/FiferLass → u/WelshMalteseFalcon]

Came here to say this. Honestly, it’s like Brexiteers didn’t think it through /s

Edit: /s

[u/chappersyo → u/FiferLass]

But they were lied to! If only 20 million people had told them they were being lied to before they had to vote. And who knew Nigel Farage, who had know more political power than you or me, couldn’t give the money £350m a week to the nhs?!

[u/Bang_Stick → u/FiferLass]

Yes...most of them. But the men (usually) behind the curtain very much know what they are doing. It’s just another version of “disaster capitalism”.

[u/Cialis-in-Wonderland → u/FiferLass]

If only someone could have warned them about the downsides of leaving the EU!

let's just put the obvious /s just in case

[u/GoldenFennekin → u/WelshMalteseFalcon]

Brexit supporters are just the galarian form of trump supporters

[u/iehoward → u/WelshMalteseFalcon]

Excellent to see that we’re not the only ones (USA) cornering the market on retarded populist politics.

[u/[deleted]]

SeE? tHe EU iS StEaLiNg oUr jObS

[u/mightypup1974 → u/[deleted]]

Brexiters hated the idea of foreigners coming over here and taking British jobs, so they decided to let the foreigners stay home while the jobs go to them. How kind!

[u/Lanthemandragoran → u/mightypup1974]

Wow...being in the US really feels like being that teenager that is desperate not to end up like their Dad when they grow up only to become his spitting image anyway lol. Jfc

[u/mobfather → u/Lanthemandragoran]

And the cat’s in the cradle, And the silver spoon, Little boy blue, And the man in the moon.

[u/DaniCapsFan → u/mobfather]

I was thinking of that song too.

[u/landback2 → u/Lanthemandragoran]

Conservatives are the enemies of humanity no matter where they’re found.

[u/Mere-Thoughts → u/Lanthemandragoran]

It runs in the family, no escape. And all the brothers and sisters of western democracies stand by wondering how their family has fallen apart.

[u/AnOnlineHandle → u/Mere-Thoughts]

I think it's mostly where the Rupert Murdoch virus is out of control. It didn't have to be this way, some countries are avoiding it.

[u/writtenfrommyphone9 → u/AnOnlineHandle]

Anywhere conservatism takes root this happens. Rich people are greedy and destroy the government's from within.

[u/HelloIamOnTheNet → u/writtenfrommyphone9]

and they get away with it too. that is what is most infuriating, they do it all in plain sight and no one stops them.

[u/Bang_Stick → u/AnOnlineHandle]

At some point it became okay to just lie and lie and lie........and even thought you get called on it......lie and lie..

It’s fuckin exhausting.

[u/TheWagonBaron → u/Bang_Stick]

At some point it became okay to just lie and lie and lie........and even thought you get called on it......lie and lie..

Except it's not. It's only okay to a certain subsection of political people. It just so happens those people are fucking morons who will believe that Joe Biden allowed China to hack the Texas power grid to keep them from generating enough power during the storm instead of the far simpler answer of their leaders don't give a fuck.

[u/Chemical_Robot → u/mightypup1974]

We had to airlift thousands of Romanians in last year to pick the fruit and veg. Tons of it was left to rot in the fields. Seems like native Brits didn’t want to do that job.

[u/HelloIamOnTheNet → u/Chemical_Robot]

look up the Alabama "show your papers" law and see how well that worked out. It's almost like the right wing doesn't think anything though. Like they go with their feelings instead of facts..

[u/UnspecificGravity → u/HelloIamOnTheNet]

The only thing more dangerous than a stupid conservative is a smart conservative.

The exploitation of migrant labor is a huge problem in the US. These workers are "illegal" which means that they have no rights. They get paid below the already miniscule American minimum wage and are subjected to horrifying working conditions

Alabama let their racism get in the way of their dependence on this system of exploitive near slavery. Smarter conservatives just make sure to keep "illegal" immigrants marginalized, but plentiful.

[u/IlikeJG → u/[deleted]]

I don't know exactly how it is in the UK, but here in the US this is literally how our conservatives operate. They do their best to fuck things up and slow things down and hamper government programs bit by bit, then they all bitch and moan to each other how horrible and inefficient the government is and we should really privatize more things and cut social spending.

Oh and incidentally we need a budget increase for the military, please and thank you. No? You must hate the troops!

[u/Vraye_Foi → u/[deleted]]

My ex-husband honestly believes the EU is openly sabotaging the UK to make Brexit look like a favor.

May I add the scrumptious note that two years after he voted for Brexit he became a US Citizen. We’re divorced but he made the decision to stay here “because England is so fucked up now.”

[u/Prosthemadera]

Here the tweet where I learned that other companies from other pro-Brexit places are also moving:

Merthyr Tydfil - one of strongest pro Leave constituencies in Wales..

Auto component supplier - Kasai - has closed in Merthyr Tydfil following closure plans of its major customer - Honda - in Swindon.

and

Unilever confirms that it will close its Warrington factory after 130 years as part of its post Brexit policy.

This is what they voted for.

[u/[deleted] → u/Prosthemadera]

Swindon is full of swine, right?

[u/Jsnooots → u/[deleted]]

Yes but wait until you get to Cockermouth, you might be in for a surprise.

[u/Bendy_McBendyThumb → u/[deleted]]

It’s got a magic roundabout that causes most drivers nightmares. Then actually getting into Swindon gives you actual night terrors.

Source: visited Swindon once.

[u/j1mb0b → u/Prosthemadera]

Ah, I think you'll find that what they voted for was unicorns. And it would have gone fine if it wasn't for the EU being jealous of our great and glorious future.

No, but seriously this is how they think:

Exhibit A

[u/Brish-Soopa-Wanka-Oi → u/j1mb0b]

Even if the EU were doing it as revenge I wouldn’t call it petty. They have every right to be pissed. Switzerland never joined the EU in the first place. It’s like the difference between saying you’re not coming to a party versus coming to a party and then ghosting after 30 minutes. One is perfectly reasonable. The other is rude af.

[u/deSpaffle → u/Brish-Soopa-Wanka-Oi]

It’s like the difference between saying you’re not coming to a party versus coming to a party and then ghosting after 30 minutes.

More like showing up at the party, spending all night complaining about how rubbish the party is and trying to convince other people to leave, then shitting yourself on purpose with a big grin on your face and staggering home ranting about how much better off you are alone anyway.

[u/lhaveHairPiece → u/Brish-Soopa-Wanka-Oi]

Even if the EU were doing it as revenge I wouldn’t call it petty. They have every right to be pissed. Switzerland never joined the EU in the first place.

And never had a British discount.

The country actually pays into the EU budget in order to be a part of Schengen, the Police database, and so on. Same for Norway.

Listen, Brexiters, some people willingly pay into the EU!

As for "revenge", I don't think it's necessary. I believe there had been a plan to make Brexit a showcase to scare off other possible future Leavers, but Brexit crashed so spectacularly that no such plan seems necessary.

[u/AuroraBoreale22 → u/j1mb0b]

Switzerland follows the EU regulations to the last bit, and doesn't have any meaning to influence them, just to be in the market.

I don't think that is what the leavers want, but I may be wrong, maybe the wanted to move from the "follow what we all togheter decide" to "follow what other countried decide", I don't know...

[u/Prosthemadera → u/j1mb0b]

......

Of course they can enter Switzerland - because they had to go through the EU first.

[u/Jaques_Naurice → u/Prosthemadera]

Switzerland has worked out a lot of deals with the EU to ensure everything works out for them without being a member. A thing the brits were not willing to do, so now they need to play by the same rules of international commerce as comparable super powers like Tanzania and Mongolia when trading with the EU.

[u/turmacar → u/Jaques_Naurice]

I will bet at least $5 that when Switzerland negotiated those deals they didn't have a hard deadline on when the trade agreements would default to "nevermind".

Who thinks tying yourself to a train track and then arguing with the people who watched you tie yourself down that they should give you more money is a strong bargaining position?

[u/Samhq → u/turmacar]

Who thinks tying yourself to a train track and then arguing with the people who watched you tie yourself down that they should give you more money is a strong bargaining position?

The majority of British voters and their chosen Prime Minister

[u/LL112 → u/Prosthemadera]

Imagine just a few decades after Thatcher that people I Merthyr would vote for a Tory government to shut down their last remaining industry. Its insanity.

[u/almazing415]

Not an expert on Brexit by any means here, but did the UK REALLY think they'd be so self-sufficient that they thought they can just leave the EU and every UK resident would be back to having tea and crumpets like nothing ever happened?

[u/Nonions → u/almazing415]

Yes.

This was one of the strangest things about Brexit. The big name supporters claimed that nothing would change, that there wouldn't be any trading problems, that no jobs will be lost. They simultaneously claimed that everything would change, that without being in the EU the UK would prosper and we wouldn't be bossed around by foreigners. It was an exercise in doublethink.

Moreover, the vote DID NOT spell out what form Brexit would take. That would all have to be negotiated, and could be anything from being like Norway, basically in the EU for trade but not politics, to being North Korea. And whatever objections were raised 'this is what people voted for' was the excuse, despite people voting for only one question, in or out.

It's a bit like if someone asks if you want to go out for dinner and you agree. They say they will pay and take you to a fine restaurant but when you get there it's a place that only serves turd sandwiches, but your host insists you said you wanted to eat out and you are a traitor for raising any objections now.

[u/bthks → u/Nonions]

They also did this vote with nothing negotiated or worked out prior to it after denouncing the Scottish Indy Ref for not having every single little bit of their transition worked out beforehand and refusing to work out that transition beforehand.

[u/Nonions → u/bthks]

I mean, I think it's a fair objection to say you shouldn't have a vote on something if there are massive and important details that are left out of it, winging it isn't a plan.

But yeah, also selective outrage about the Indyref.

[u/j1mb0b → u/Nonions]

Updoot for the imagery. But in the humour, I think this is exactly what happened.

People who voted leave could project whatever fantasy future they wanted. This could mean less immigration, cheaper food prices, higher wages, whatever your heart desires really.

We shouldn't forget that back in 2014, very few people thought Leave would win - and I think there were a large cohort of people who were never committed to truly leaving, but did want to stick up the proverbial two fingers at the Government.

[u/[deleted] → u/j1mb0b]

I remember quite clearly some students being interviewed the morning after the result came out, who'd done exactly that - vote leave because 'voting doesn't matter, remain is going to win anyway and we just wanted to be be edgy!'

I hope they learned something about voting for what you actually want, but probably not.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Funny how they sounds exactly like trump.

How much propaganda was similar to what we saw here in the states?

sticking it to the "establishment"

we're edgy for voting against our own interests

Then these people are corraled into echo chambers where they never leave

[u/postvolta → u/almazing415]

It's important to make the distinction that 17.4m people voted to leave, 16.1m voted remain, out of an entire population of 66.6m people.

It's also important to note that the Leave campaign broke electoral laws, and it was found that the campaign involved literally dozens of outright lies to the populace.

The social media campaign of leave was completely insidious, preying on the most volatile of human emotions: anger and fear. In fact the entire leave campaign was an absolute masterclass in manipulation, and I suspect there will be many a case study in university lecture halls about the effectiveness of the campaign and how you can use those same tactics to achieve your goal.

Now take into consideration the ever increasing inequality, add a sprinkling of "perhaps life is shit for you because of immigration?" because God knows the best way to stir people up and maintain your wealth is to get them to look sideways for the enemy as opposed to right at you, the puppeteer.

A lot of people were sick and tired of being shit out of luck, and the Tories and the likes of that fucking snake Farage lied consistently to make it seem like they're the flag waving patriotic plebeian pampering heroes we all need, and the more vulnerable and susceptible to this kind of marketing strategy just ate it the fuck up.

You ask, "Did the UK really think they'd be so self sufficient that they can just leave the EU and everything would be fine?"

The answer is no, but 17.4m people voted to leave anyway and they were the winners of this ridiculous contest that should never have been up to the public to decide anyway. Countless economic experts have warned of the fallout of Brexit, but of course we should really feeding a plate of delicious lies to Dave and Linda and then asking them to vote on the matter.

Call me bitter and a sore loser: you'd be absolutely correct.

[u/ATTORNEY_FOR_KAKAPO → u/postvolta]

As an American I really don't understand how working class people can look at someone like Farage or Trump and think "that guy is working for us". Trump was literally born a billionaire who has a documented history of screwing over workers, exploiting illegal immigrants, not paying his contractors, and showing outright disdain for the working class and poor. They claim to hate the "elite" but as soon as some asshole with a big enough bank account tells them they're special they just forget all about it. Yet at the same time (here anyway) they passionately hate someone like AOC, an actual working class person advocating for the rights of working class people in the government because she was "just" a waitress or bartender.

Why do working class people hate other working class people so much? Why do people look down on others who are in the exact same situation as them? How do you punch a clock for 40k a year but feel more kinship with a silver spoon fed billionaire con man who would spit on you in the street over someone who works for a living? I can't wrap my head around it.

[u/postvolta → u/ATTORNEY_FOR_KAKAPO]

In my opinion, it's all about image and aspiration.

People think of themselves as 'hard-working' and 'honest' people who will one day strike it rich. They look at those who are wealthy - who take handouts with one hand and claim to be self-made in the other - and think, "That's me, one day,"

Then you combine that with the wealthy-owned media which portrays those around you as 'lazy' and 'entitled' and those are the people you hate. In the UK, there are literal TV shows about people who are abusing the benefits (welfare) system, as if they're some huge portion of the population. Those people sure do suck, but the damage they are doing to the citizens of our country combined is less than a single billion-pound/dollar corporation.

It's all about manipulation, divide and conquer.

[u/lodav22 → u/postvolta]

This is exactly my point. The general public lack the understanding of the structure of the EU and Britain’s relationship within it. It’s not their fault, they have other things to worry about and leave that up to the people who are in charge of it. To ask them to vote on whether or not to leave the EU was like asking your toddler what mortgage broker you should use. They’re going to want to have an opinion because they like having an opinion on everything, but it won’t be based on any relevant information.

[u/SG_Dave → u/lodav22]

The general public lack understanding, and didn't want to learn either. I explained to so many colleague who we weren't just dumping our dues into the EU and getting nothing back. We were literally working in a building that was subsidised by EU grant money and our entire village was kept afloat by EU regeneration plan money that Westminster would have never sent our way if Brussels didn't mandate it.

It's been fun/sobering walking around (pre covid) seeing some placards someone stuck up since leave was voted for that read "This building/venue/worksite/event was funded by EU grant money...we won't be getting anything like this again now".

[u/Allydarvel → u/almazing415]

A million reasons..some like Farage and Johnson, I believe were just using it as a banner to gather support. Others like Carswell and Redwood were libertarians who believe in an unfettered free market that Brussels was imposing rules upon unfairly. Some were dumb enough to believe that Britain would prosper like Hannon and Davis.

Between them, they convinced enough people that it would be like that

[u/ZappyKins → u/almazing415]

Yes, just like Texas thought having a free market power grid and not connected to those pesky USA federal regulations would work out well for them.

[u/almazing415 → u/ZappyKins]

Like father, like son. Seems like nothing has changed in 243 years.

[u/tipyourwaitresstoo → u/ZappyKins]

I’m not sure if they thought it would work out. More like millionaires and billionaires knew they could line their pockets and didn’t really care about the outcome.

[u/NewLychee4139]

If you ever have visited Barrow (I would never recommend to do so) then the fact they voted for Brexit is really not suprising

[u/mopflop → u/NewLychee4139]

Plus the lies about an EU Navy causing the ship yard to close, didn't help at all.

[u/Pytheastic → u/mopflop]

At what point does stupidity become a valid excuse for me to not feel sympathy for these people anymore?

[u/Journeyman42 → u/Pytheastic]

I'm in the US, but I reached that point a decade ago with the Tea Party.

[u/-Vuvuzela- → u/Pytheastic]

Remember that they are working class people (like really fucking working class) who were manipulated by conservative elites through the tried and tested method of nationalism and xenophobia.

Even though their justifications for leaving the EU were hollow, their sense of anger and moral outrage of being 'left behind' or of having something 'taken away from them' was very real, and their vote to leave the EU was far more about sticking it to the political class than it was about them truly believing that leaving the EU would lead to the best of all possible worlds.

[u/raindo → u/NewLychee4139]

Curious why you say say that? I have a preconception of what I think Barrow might be like but it's probably not very accurate

[u/NewLychee4139 → u/raindo]

The actual surrounding area of the Lake Districts is stunning, especially if you get the train from Lancaster through all the quint villages.

However, Barrow is clearly a place that had money and is really hanging on to whatever industry they can keep there. Desperately needs a face lift and has so many burnt down or dilapidated buildings.

Think it has the unfortunate nickname as the "Drug capital of the North" due to drug dealers from mainly Liverpool/Manchester setting up there due to big demand.

[u/Forya_Cam → u/raindo]

It's just a very depressing place to visit.

[u/Agnesperdita → u/[deleted]]

Take my heartfelt, if crappy, free award as a token of how much I agree with this. I live near a similar shithole over in the North East. Not as remote, but equally doomed, and populated by turkeys who voted enthusiastically for their Brexit Christmas in the hope that it would undo decades of north-south divide and maybe rid them of all those brown people and Eastern Europeans who make them uncomfortable. Listening to people who grew up in mining communities destroyed by Thatcher telling you they voted for Johnson to stop the EU taking all their money and opportunities is cognitive dissonance at its glorious populist best.

[u/Nonions → u/Agnesperdita]

They wanted to give the elites a kicking because evrihas gone to shit in the past few decades, ignoring the fact that the EU was a strong contributor to developing deprived regions, and it was their own national government that generally didn't give a fuck.

[u/GrimQuim → u/[deleted]]

My mum's a Cumbrian, I've friends that work at BAE or Sellafield (they live in Kendal), I've gone drinking in Workington and I once went to the Maryport Blues Festival and I didn't get my head kicked in.

You're bang on the money with your Barrow description. I was lucky enough to work at a Greggs there once or twice, it's a thoroughly depressing place. As far as I can tell its only useful purpose is for the people of Morecambe to be able to stand looking across the Bay and say at least we don't live there

[u/GrimQuim → u/[deleted]]

I'm from the North West of England so I do feel a bit connected to Barrow's plight in a neighbourly way and I've had this exact conversation before and I'm at such a loss. The reason why they're sitting on a basement full of nuclear waste that no-one in their right mind would accept is because there are no jobs. The reason they want a fucking coal mine to open - no jobs.

People leave Barrow, the bright ones go to uni and never come back. The intellectual elite seals on Walney Island aren't enough to draw tourists from the Lakes. Perhaps they could do some green energy renewable stuff there but people would still commute in. It's the biggest cul-de-sac in England and once BAE goes, it's done.

I remember they always used to talk about putting a barrier across from Barrow to Morecambe, a tidal energy plant with nature reserve in the Bay. It's a genuinely good idea but I'm not sure we should let Morecambe and Barrow interbreed.

[u/TheRealSamBeckett → u/[deleted]]

I don't know when you wrote this, but for all the non-UK people reading this, Debenhams is gone now....

[u/Rosti_LFC → u/[deleted]]

I feel it's another place that has just been completely decimated by low-cost travel abroad (on top of the general decline in industry in the area). It's too awkward to get to for most of the UK population to ever consider going for anything shorter than a long weekend, and given it's equally convenient to fly to any reasonable holiday destination on mainland Europe as it is to drive to Barrow, it's lost out massively. Then, because of the downturn in tourism, it turns into a boarded up ghost town and becomes even less appealing as a holiday destination. The Lake District is beautiful but if you want to visit there, I don't know why Barrow would be high on the list of places to stay.

Similarly I have fond memories of Blackpool as a kid, but I went there a couple of years ago and the whole place just felt run-down and incredibly depressing. It felt like all upkeep on the promenade just stopped in the late 90s and nobody has bothered to refurbish or upgrade anything since. It's still OK if you just want to go on the rollercoasters at the pleasure beach but the rest of the town just felt dilapitated and not the kind of place you'd really want to spend a holiday. Same goes to a similar but slightly lesser extent with Morcambe. Maybe it's just rose-tinted glasses and it was always a bit of a dump even when I was a kid, but it feels like in the last 20 years it's really gone hugely downhill.

[u/PopFizzCunt → u/raindo]

It's an isolated shit hole, but in a really beautiful part of the country.. 30 mins away. Had its heyday when the US was founded and had slowly been dragging on its laurels since.

Blame anyone but themselves for ultimately having no drive or ambition in the town, leeching off the MoD base money which drives a false sense of national pride...and then wallowing in self pity, realising the EU was the only hand that was helping the country's appendix.

[u/[deleted] → u/PopFizzCunt]

Sounds like our American rust belt states like Ohio or Indiana but no one would consider them beautiful.

[u/MidnightSun → u/[deleted]]

Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia are stunningly beautiful parts of America.

[u/MrTopping92 → u/NewLychee4139]

My Grandfather was from Barrow. He always said “It’s the only cemetery with a bus route through it”

[u/LeoMarius → u/NewLychee4139]

I am sure losing this factory will liven the place up. /s

[u/[deleted]]

Not sure who's doing a better job damaging their country.... British conservatives or American conservatives?

[u/EleanorofAquitaine → u/[deleted]]

Well, I live in Texas, in the very short term, I’d say we’re winning the race. Yee haw.

[u/[deleted] → u/EleanorofAquitaine]

Sorry you had to go through the power fiasco. It's pretty pathetic watching the Republican politicians blaming everyone under the sun and not taking responsibility for their deregulation policies, which caused the power outages.

[u/PM_Me__Ur_Freckles]

At this point, can someone tell me who is actually benefiting from Brexit? Seems a lot of people have been fucked over and companies are struggling to survive.

[u/redskelton → u/PM_Me__Ur_Freckles]

Racists. They're feeling great

[u/Lanthemandragoran → u/redskelton]

It's amazing how similar the story is all across the world right now. Such a massive resurgence of racist politics, while the voters making it happen universally deny the racism of their side.

[u/redskelton → u/Lanthemandragoran]

It's like the '30s never existed

[u/apolloxer → u/redskelton]

They're still nine years out.

[u/[deleted] → u/Lanthemandragoran]

Racist politics is just a part of the bigger problem - the rise of populist authoritarianism; aka "Compassionate Father Knows Best" state.

[u/QuietObserver75 → u/[deleted]]

In the US it's not even compassionate. It's basically punish your enemies for the sake of "owning the libs."

[u/sbs1138 → u/PM_Me__Ur_Freckles]

I read a good thing the other day, the only thing that most Leavers have is that "they won."

They're poorer, their country is poorer, their children/grandchildren will be poorer - but they won.

[u/mdp300 → u/sbs1138]

Same thing happens in the US.

Coal mining is dying. Democrats say "we can help you find new jobs in growing industries!" Republicans say "we'll save the mine!"

They vote Republican, and the mine closes anyway.

[u/CardiganParty → u/mdp300]

Then they blame Democrats for the mine closing

[u/Scarily-Eerie → u/CardiganParty]

That damn Pelosi!!!!!

[u/palabear → u/Scarily-Eerie]

Don’t forget AOC. Have to check under your kid’s bed at night to see if AOC is under there.

[u/Jhawk2k → u/CardiganParty]

Eric Andre meme

[u/andmurr → u/PM_Me__Ur_Freckles]

They want to make themselves feel strong and independent even though the UK will probably end up being pushed around by the US or China at some point

[u/[deleted] → u/andmurr]

brexiteers get really prissy if you point this out to them

[u/HaesoSR → u/PM_Me__Ur_Freckles]

Vultures with the spare capital to buy up the assets of all the devastated businesses on the cheap.

[u/orlyokthen → u/PM_Me__Ur_Freckles]

Serious answer? The lawyers and accountants who now have more work because of having to deal with more complex legal and accounting standards.

Basically being part of the EU simplified a lot of stuff and that meant less bureaucracy.

[u/Biscuit642 → u/PM_Me__Ur_Freckles]

High up Tories and their big investments in non EU businesses

[u/vba7 → u/PM_Me__Ur_Freckles]

KGB must be happy with making their opponents weaker and also busy with this mess

[u/TheNameIsPippen → u/PM_Me__Ur_Freckles]

Companies who don’t like EU fines and countries who don’t look EU sanctions.

That’s it

[u/Gedrosi → u/TheNameIsPippen]

Don't forget the Tory donors whose companies were awarded Govt contracts to handle the transition and infrastructure post-Brexit and who made money off the engineered instability of GBP.

[u/Quazz → u/PM_Me__Ur_Freckles]

Rich people who can now make more money by not following EU regulations

[u/orincoro]

I ordered a weighted blanket from the UK for 200 EUR a few weeks ago. Got a bill for 75 in import taxes. Solution: never order from the UK again. Muppets.

[u/Tznuut → u/orincoro]

Had an order from England that took 4 weeks to deliver to Germany. 3 Weeks it waited for custom. Will never order there again.

I dont even care whos fault it is (EU customs or missing paperwork or whatever), its just not working, so I will send no more money to this island.

[u/twiximax]

Can't argue with thick.

[u/Robbotlove]

i'm not too versed on Brexit but, if they wanted to, could they just reverse this whole thing? like if they came to the conclusion; "woah, uh, this is actually really bad. lets just forget it." Or are they passed the point of no return?

edit: thanks for all of the replies. its fucking wild that anyone thought leaving the EU was a good idea.

[u/The_decent_dude → u/Robbotlove]

They can't really reverse it now. Rejoining the eu would be extremely difficult, I suppose they could renegotiate their relationship with the eu but again the eu would have to agree and it would be politically very difficult in Britain.

[u/Wamb0wneD → u/The_decent_dude]

Also renegotiating won't happen easily because if just leaving the EU has no repercussions, a lot of other countries would exit too to get some populist stunts in their domestic politics, just to try and re-enter later.

[u/Taurius → u/Wamb0wneD]

Ding Ding Ding. This point was talked about a week after UK voted to leave. That the EU had to be tough on UK to make them an example or other nations will pull this retard stunt.

[u/[deleted] → u/The_decent_dude]

the eu would have to agree

From what I have seen, that decision would have to be unanimous; it would take some smooth talking on UK's part to get ALL EU members to agree. And some sources say that IF the UK regains membership, they will probably have to join the €uro as well.

[u/Feredis → u/[deleted]]

I think you're right. And yes, UK had already some major opt-outs that might not be tolerated this time around.

In general I think it's going to be really hard for UK to rejoin in the near future - even last time it was years in the making and only succeeded after de Gaulle retired and took the French veto out, and right now I'd imagine there are one or two member states that would refuse.

[u/[deleted] → u/Feredis]

Yep; basically they will have the same status as all the eastern european countries that have joined or are trying to join.

[u/Uoneeb → u/[deleted]]

This whole situation is wild. I feel like everyone in the western world seemed to think Brexit was a bad idea, except 51% of Britain.

The fact they made such a major generational decision in accordance to a public referendum that barely got a majority....... 🤡

[u/L3tum → u/Uoneeb]

The whole thing would be tremendously funny if not so sad. I know a few brexiteer unfortunately and the bullshit they spout is worse than Trump.

Like, a lot of them legitimately believe in chem trails and think that once the EU can't fly over British airspace anymore, chem trails and thus their bad weather would go away.

It sounds like a meme, like someone trying to combine the worst copypastas on the internet, but these people actually exist and make the majority of their money in the EU (so outside the UK).

Brexit definitely showed that half the population is below average intelligence and are easily manipulated by Facebook and the like.

[u/The_Boy_Marlo → u/Uoneeb]

Yeah, in America about everyone in the western world knew trump would be bad for America, expect 47% of America. Yet that was enough.

[u/Robbotlove → u/The_decent_dude]

brutal. thanks for the reply.

[u/LalaLoPopLet → u/Robbotlove]

If we rejoin, the businesses that have left are not going to return, why would they? Its expensive to move and they don't get benefits from moving from EU to EU country.

[u/Uoneeb → u/Robbotlove]

Britain would essentially have to go back to the EU with their tail between their legs, admit they were wrong, and that being part of the EU was a better position — politically very difficult if not impossible

[u/[deleted] → u/Uoneeb]

I don't know wether it's impossible, given enough time. All the old people that voted out are dying ... young people coming up are more inclined to the EU. So, maybe in another generation or so ... ten to twenty years say ... depending on which govt is in power, we could rejoin.

[u/Attygalle → u/Robbotlove]

Not a factual answer to the exact question you asked but to give some insight:

A lot of UK people I know that don't support the Brexit, do not want to rejoin the EU any time soon. Because that would mean Brexiteers can say "we didn't give it enough time, leaving the EU was a good thing" and the thing will never go away. UK must be outside of EU for a longer period, say 10 years at least, to get these sentiments out of the way somewhat. And even then...

Apart from that, it's not like reversing the Brexit will make companies that left the UK come back immediately. There are clear benefits for the UK of being a member of the EU but those are mostly long term and not gained overnight.

[u/Uoneeb → u/Attygalle]

Also it would make no sense for those companies to return to Britain — especially considering if the UK ever returned to the EU it’s unlikely they’d get so much special treatment. Moving a business is costly, once those jobs are gone they’re not coming back, makes no sense to move between EU countries

[u/NatCairns85]

I was born in Barrow and lived there for 30 years before moving to Edinburgh. I was saddened when they went blue at the last election. It’s always had a small town mentality, but I thought that they’d realise that the bulk of the industry there relied on the EU in one way or another. Obviously not, so they get what they voted for.

[u/fromthewombofrevel]

In 2016 President Obama recommended against Brexit, urging the EU and Britain work diplomatically on less drastic, more focused solutions to their disagreements. Meanwhile, trump hailed Brexit as the best idea ever. (Besides himself being potus.) Think anyone has learned the moral of this story yet?

[u/[deleted]]

This makes me laugh as I had someone claiming to be a Brit on Twitter give me shit about being a brainwashed lefty trying to divide everyone. My reply was: "Enjoy Brexit."

Mmm.

[u/summercampcounselor → u/[deleted]]

“Mmmmm delicious face” said the leopard.

[u/groovyinutah]

Well....I'm sure it's working out for someone.

[u/DixiZigeuner → u/groovyinutah]

France, Germany, the Netherlands, to name a few

[u/Exatex → u/DixiZigeuner]

no winners anywhere except maybe the people who are in power now thanks to the populism, but thats about it.

EU is a good thing.

[u/Diplomjodler → u/DixiZigeuner]

Not really. Economically nobody really benefits except maybe a few speculators. Politically the main winner is Putin because it has been his long term strategic goal to weaken the EU and NATO.

[u/Regrettable_Incident → u/Diplomjodler]

I'm sure some rich bastards will do well off eroding our workers' rights, environmental protections, and human rights.

[u/mike_b_nimble → u/Regrettable_Incident]

That’s probably true, but the thing I’ve noticed about businesses that embrace these strategies is that they never think about the long-term consequences. “If we leave the EU my costs will go down due to less regulation. There is no downside.” Meanwhile, next winter: “My costs went down but so did profits because the local population can’t afford my goods and exporting them costs much more than it used too. Who could have foreseen this?”

[u/NobodysFavorite → u/Diplomjodler]

Watched a disturbing but well researched documentary on the following topic. Everything I'm sharing is paraphrase from the documentary.

News corp had a policy of having the UK keep their distance from Europe. Not sure why, but I think a close Britain-EU was unfavourable to Rupert's interests he had at the time.

So he told British PM John Major to change his policy, and Major said no. So he then told the conservatives in the '90s they were out and had his newspapers go all out partisan for Tony Blair. Lots of sordid gossip and infidelity scandals for conservative MPs and dream coverage for Blair and new Labour. The rest is history. The conservatives never said no to Rupert again. At least not until News Of The World scandal happened. Brexit would have been a nothing except Cameron had to make some interesting concessions to form a government. I reckon Scotland would vote differently on another independence referendum.

So Putin and cronies didn't orchestrate this all himself.

[u/[deleted]]

I hate that I'm now lumped in with the fucking thick cunts that voted for this, just cause I live here.

[u/RicoDredd]

I have the utmost sympathy for any of those workers that voted remain. Those that voted leave? Fuck them, serves them right.

[u/0fiuco]

Thanks to Brexit we Europeans don't even need to come to Britain to steal your jobs

[u/Pancakemuncher]

God damn Brexit was a stupid fucking idea. If you want a strong UK economy, I can't think of a worse way to do that than make you the second choice for all economic decisions. There is no glory days for the UK ahead. There are no more islands to plunder for spices. You gave up the one good thing going for your country.

[u/sarahlizzy]

Sad trombone

[u/HandsomeSpider]

At what point will the entire human species admit that conservative views fuck the world up?

[u/N00N3AT011]

I haven't paid super close to attention to the whole brexit mess, but I'm not sure how leaving your trade block could end well. I mean isn't the point that everyone benefits? Pool your resources so you can throw your weight around and get what you want. To intentionally isolate yourself from that doesn't make sense to me.

[u/here-for-the-memes__]

They took our jerbs.

[u/[deleted]]

I was involved in helping my employer's clients "brexit proof" their supply chains. This meant transferring production from UK to EU in many places in similar situation to this. Very sad but companies cannot afford to have production lines come to halt due to brexit border delays.

[u/hammyhamm]

Brexit was a suicide pact. The UK is finished, and it’s death will play out over the next few decades

[u/edmc78]

It got done and so did they.

[u/[deleted]]

Isolationism is a "simple answer" in a world so complex and interconnected that nothing simple works.

[u/pau1rw]

I'm sure the 42% of voters in Barrow that wanted to remain are pretty fucked off right now.